VINCENT BONSIGNORE: Doc Rivers and Kevin Garnett would be huge coup for Clippers

Three days in Mexico and I return home to learn the Clippers are on the verge of bagging arguably the best coach in the NBA, a future Hall of Famer with enough juice in his legs to assist Chris Paul and Blake Griffin in a title run and also bring home one of the greatest players ever produced by Los Angeles.

The end game being Doc Rivers steering the Clippers ship, Kevin Garnett prowling the paint and Paul Pierce on the wing along with Paul and Griffin in a blockbuster move that shakes the NBA to its core.

Nothing is official -- yet anyway. But multiple reports indicate the Clippers and Boston Celtics are closing in on a deal in which Rivers and Garnett would come to Los Angeles and Pierce might soon join them when the Celtics exercise his $5-million buyout at the end of June, as expected.

Which reminds me, I either have to take more vacations or not leave town at all.

Bottom line, that's not a bad way to go into a new season, is it?

Meanwhile, the cost is prohibitive but certainly not overly extravagant, especially if the Clippers hold on to young point guard Eric Bledsoe for potential use in a separate deal, as is being reported.

The Clippers hope to send center DeAndre Jordan, who remains a work in progress five years into his career, the expiring contract of Caron Butler and a first-round pick to Boston to make it all happen.

On one hand ,you hate to part with a promising player like Jordan, if only because he flashes so many dominant skills.

On the other, there is also a chance we've seen the best of the 24-year-old center. If so, the loss is not as big as we might think.

And if the Clippers hold on to Bledsoe, which they've been adamant about throughout talks with the Celtics, it's a huge win for them.

The key to it all, of course, is bringing Rivers into the fold.

There is little doubt Gregg Popovich is the best coach in the NBA right now, his Spurs closing in on their fifth NBA championship and his ability to develop and hone under-the-radar players like Danny Green into significant assets around San Antonio's core superstars a skill few coaches possess.

But the past five years prove Rivers is a close second, the Celtics an annual contender even while age and injuries compromised their closing ability on younger teams like Miami and Chicago.

For the Clippers to land a coach of that stature is not only a coup, but it nearly guarantees Paul will remain in Los Angeles on a long-term commitment later this summer.

The move allows Rivers to avoid the inevitable rebuilding project about to go down in Boston while providing him with an intriguing roster filled with a near-perfect blend of youth, toughness, experience and savvy.

Garnett and Pierce, if both come along for the ride, might be risky business in terms of age and potential injury. But their wear and tear is mitigated by the presence of the youthful Paul and Griffin shouldering most of the heavy lifting.

At the very least, it shows the Clippers are willing to think boldly and take on money in pursuit of their first championship.